A review of data from the 2020 Household Pulse Survey revealed that people in the United States are reporting more depression and anxiety as the election approaches. 2020 data show anxiety and depression rates in the weeks leading up to the November presidential election, the start of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders that many Americans would have been concerned about in April 2020. This is important because it allows comparison with survey data conducted in about their health and financial security.
Despite these concerns, Americans were feeling even more anxious and depressed as of November 2020. Examining the findings of 2020, a unique and difficult year, may help us understand the psychological impact of the American election.
A new study was published in a journal economics and human biology.
Elections in the United States, especially presidential elections, are well-known events that most Americans feel pressured to participate in. When you try to relax with a TV show, YouTube video, or Facebook scrolling, you’re bombarded with a political call to action.
The 2020 election was unique because many Americans wondered whether the election results would reflect the votes cast. According to Sankar Mukhopadhyay, author of the study, “A survey conducted by the American Psychological Association in September 2020 found that the presidential election was a source of stress for 68% of Americans, compared with the 2016 election’s corresponding response rate. (52%).There were allegations of cheating and boredom after the election.The results were unprecedentedly contested and led to the January 6, 2021 riots. It led to two months of confusion and uncertainty.”
Mukhopadhyay used data from the Household Pulse Survey (HPS) to further explore the mental health experiences of Americans before and after the November 2020 presidential election. The HPS was conducted weekly in the United States and then biweekly to collect a representative sample of responses. HPS collects data on mental illness, mental health visits, prescription use, and socioeconomic data. The survey was conducted using the same question he used 40 times, providing a fair amount of comparable data.
Mukhopadhyay looked at responses from HPS and found that anxiety rates rose 73% over baseline in the days leading up to the election. This dropped slightly after Election Day, but remained high, with him 55% above baseline in the week of Jan. 6, 2021.
Depression was 52% higher than baseline during election week and remained just above 50% through the week of the US Capitol building storming. Associated with higher than normal levels of anxiety and depression, mental health visits and prescription use increased 29% during the week of the election.
Mukhopadhyay also compared the results of Republican and Democratic majority states and found the results to be the same across voting patterns. This may indicate that mental health effects are similar regardless of which political party or who is predicted to win.
Mukhopadhyay acknowledged that the HPS did not ask respondents if they were voters, restricting them from drawing any conclusions about the mental health concerns of those not participating in the election. In addition, HPS did not ask about citizenship status, which made me wonder if non-citizens were more or less worried about the outcome of the election.
Regardless of these limitations, the study provides a window into the potential impact of the electoral cycle on contemporary Americans. Also, in addition to an increase in self-reported symptoms of moderate-to-severe anxiety and depression, the 2020 election also led to an increase in mental health visits and prescription drug use related to anxiety and depression. also shows. ”
The study, “Elections Impact (Health): Depression, Anxiety, and the 2020 Presidential Election,” was authored by Sankar Mukhopadhyay.
